Cádiz continued their push for La Liga safety with a 1-0 win over Granada last time out for their eighth point over five matches (W2, D2, L1). While that makes up nearly a third of their aggregate points over the season, a three-point deficit to safety means that they still have plenty of work to do. A game against Barcelona probably comes at an inopportune time then, especially as the hosts have lost their last three league H2Hs, each of which without scoring.
There’s no better time and venue than the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla to break that run, as the hosts have won their last two league games ‘to nil’ on home soil. But with five of the last six league goals scored at this venue coming in the second half, fans shouldn’t be expecting a quick start from either side.
Barcelona also saw four match goals arrive beyond the break in an enthralling 3-2 win over PSG on Wednesday to take a slender lead in the first leg of the Champions League quarter final. That was the fifth competitive win in a row for the Catalans although that result keeps the tie in the balance. That makes their upcoming second leg pivotal and means they could be forgiven for prioritising Europe over La Liga as a result, where they trail leaders Real Madrid by eight points with 24 points left to play for.
Regardless of this predicament, Barça should be confident of extending their nine-game unbeaten run in the league (W7, D2), which included five clean sheets in a row. A chance to post six such clean sheets in a row for the first time since October 2022 beckons, although the visitors failed to keep one in 14 of their last 16 road trips.
Players to watch: Juanmi could prove to be a lucky charm for Cádiz, as two of his four league goals against Barcelona have come in 1-0 wins. Looking to thwart his hopes late in the game could be Ferran Torres, who’s scored six of his last seven league goals beyond the half-time break, including Barcelona’s last goal in the 2-0 win in the reverse fixture.
Hot stat: Seven red cards have been dished out in Barcelona’s last 14 away league games.
